


A Family Reunion

by aworldoffandoms



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Little Sisters, Secret Relationship, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sisters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aworldoffandoms/pseuds/aworldoffandoms
Summary: Nicolette gets a page to the ER and she never guesses who greets her there. She'll have to juggle all aspects of her professional and private life. Will she be able to do it?
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	1. Family Reunion

“Now, Mrs Johnson needs a CT scan because she has blurred vision and a bit unsteady on her feet so we have to check it’s not a brain tumour so make sure you get that done ASAP and follow up on your patients in beds 219, 230 and 249. Sounds like something you can do, Doctor Ortega?” 

Esme gives a decisive nod and a smile before she takes the patient files from Nicolette’s hands and marches her way down the hall and into the elevator to the second floor. Nicolette watches her go, a small glow of pride blooms in her chest at seeing her intern excel so well through the year. She’s doing something right. 

“Doctor Valentine?” 

Nicolette startles at the voice behind her, her heart jumping into her throat. It never ceases to amaze her the effect his voice had. The low timbre of it wraps around her like warm honey and she has to fight the urge to shiver. A smile lights up her face at the sound and she turns around. Ethan’s expression is neutral but his eyes clue her in at the amusement he’s trying to hide, the blue of them shining with mirth. 

Nicolette resists the impulse to step forward and lay a hand on his arm so she clenches her fist instead and places it in her coat pocket. 

She glances up at Ethan. “You called me, Doctor Ramsey?” 

Ethan clears his throat and steps back from her, although he gives her a private smile which alleviates the sting of him pushing back from her. 

“I need you to go to discharge our current diagnostics patient and then get the lab results for bed’s 139, 111 and 492.” 

A few nurses flit by the two doctors as Ethan’s voice lowers into the authoritative tone he uses for insubordinate interns and Ethan’s eyebrows pinch in a frown to match his tone. Nicolette's heart would clench in pain at the sight if she didn’t feel him skim his fingers across her palm before he did it. 

“Is that understood, Doctor Valentine? If I find neither task done...well, let’s just say you wouldn’t want me to see me angry.” 

If they weren’t in the middle of the hospital hall in full view of multiple people, Nicolette would laugh so she rolls her lips inwards to keep herself from grinning. It wasn’t the fact that his words were making her laugh, it was the fact that he was blatantly making it seem like they weren’t involved personally even though they were sleeping together and secretly dating. 

Nicolette coughs against the laugh bubbling up in her throat and she gives Ethan a nod, his face twisted into an indignant frown at Nicolette’s obvious amusement.

“Of course, Doctor Ramsey. I’ll get right on that.” 

Nicolette steps away to head to the lab but she’s stopped by a firm hand on her arm, the touch gentle despite his grip. Ethan gives her a look that makes her heart beat faster inside her chest before stepping closer, his breath fanning over the shell of her ear as he whispers the next words. 

“Thank you and after that come to my office. I’ll need to make sure that you have done everything to my _satisfaction_.”

Nicolette's breath hitches in her throat and something warm unfurls in her stomach at the heady tone he uses. She shivers and nods emphatically at the mischievous smile she can almost _feel_ blossoming on Ethan’s face. He runs his hand quickly down her arm before linking her pinky with his. 

“Be quick, Valentine.” 

“Of course, Doctor Ramsey.” 

They both step away at the same time, Nicolette’s eyes following the line of Ethan’s figure as he walks away. She exhales a breath and shakes her head. She takes two steps before her pager beeps and she opens her phone to see a 911 for the ER. Her brow furrows in confusion but her heart beats painfully inside her chest at the thought of needing a 911 page to the ER and especially for her no less. 

She sighs and rushes to the elevator, her feet beating an impatient rhythm against the floor of the elevator once she’s inside and pushes the button for the ground level. Thoughts whirl in her head so much so that her surroundings are a haze around her and she shrieks as a voice meets her ears. 

“Already impatient, are we, Valentine?” 

“Ah!” 

She jumps when she hears Ethan’s amused voice behind her in the elevator and she turns around, hand to her chest. 

“Damnit, Ethan! Don’t do that.” 

Ethan raises an eyebrow and glances down to check his watch. “Didn’t I just give you some tasks to do three minutes ago?” 

Nicolette sighs. “I know, Ethan, but I got a 911 page to the ER so you’ll forgive me if I take that as a priority over the other things I need to do.” 

Ethan’s expression turns to concern at her frazzled voice and he leans closer to her, a hand resting on her shoulder. “Of course, Nicolette. We’ll deal with this first.” 

Nicolette nods, silently grateful that she doesn't have to say anything for Ethan to accompany her, supporting her without question. Taking a deep fortifying breath before releasing it slowly to calm her nerves, her thoughts run wild at the possibilities that could be awaiting her in that ER. The elevator doors open and she and Ethan turn the corner to the nurses’ station. Melanie glances up and gives them a polite smile but it dims when she finds Nicolette’s worried expression. 

“I got a 911 page for the ER? Is something wrong?” 

Melanie nods and is about to direct her to where she’s supposed to go before Nicolette’s stomach drops onto the floor when she hears a very familiar voice. One she hasn’t heard in the flesh for a good six months and one that should be thousands of miles away back in California. 

“Nicolette? Oh, thank god!” 

“ _Alexandria?_ _Siobhan?_ What are you doing here?”

***

There is a beat of silence until Alexandria rushes forward and wraps Nicolette in a hug, Nicolette’s makes a quiet ‘oomph’ sound at the impact but immediately wraps her arms around the petite figure of her little sister.

“Not that I’m happy to see you but why are you in Boston? And more importantly, _why_ is your sister on a gurney at the hospital that I work at?”

Alex gives Nicolette a sheepish smile and rubs the back of her neck, her feet shifting in place a few times, her sneakers squeaking against the linoleum. “Heh. Yeah. Well, about that…” 

Nicolette narrows her eyes at her younger sister and snaps her gaze up to Ethan as his eyebrows are lifted inquisitively, assessing the situation with his sharp eyes, his glasses perched on his nose making him even more intimidating to anyone but her. 

She takes a steadying breath and releases it on a sigh. With nervous butterflies in her stomach at the thought of Ethan meeting her sisters and, potentially her parents, she stares down Alex with her no-nonsense big sister glare. Alex and Siobhan knew what that look meant, being the two who got it more times than they can count while Nicolette was in high school and studying for her final entrance exam into college. 

Alex straightens her shoulders against Nicolette’s glare and explains why they are both thousands of miles away from home and in a hospital ER room with no parent or guardian with them. 

“So...before you go all big-sister-lecture on us, we’re on fall break so don’t think that we are skipping out on school. Mum and dad had a conference to go to in New York but we didn’t want to go because they are boring as heck so we thought we’d surprise you here in Boston. What _Siobhan_ forgot to bring was her insulin and she fainted while we were getting off the tram to walk here. A guy named Rafael brought us in.” 

Trust Raf to be the knight in shining armour. Nicolette listens carefully, her eyebrows pinched in worry for her sister in the bed with an IV in her arm and the other trying desperately to not have Nicolette blow up at her. Nicolette brings her fingers to the bridge of her nose and sighs, her eyes closing in obvious exasperation. 

“Siobhan…” 

The strawberry-blond lying in the gurney sighs, her hazel eyes are apologetic as she looks at her sister. “I’m sorry, Nikki. I know. It was stupid but Alex and I left in such a rush that I didn’t take it this morning. I didn’t think anything of it until I woke up in the arms of a Greek god with arms like Hercules before I realised my mistake. Don’t get angry at Alex. Please. This is on me.” 

Nicolette switches her gaze between her sisters like a tennis match, both their expressions apologetic and placating to not have their sister’s wrath upon them. 

Nicolette gives them both a soft smile and steps forward to take Siobhan’s hand in her own. “I’m not angry, Von, I’m worried. That’s what big sisters do.” 

Siobhan rolls her eyes but a smile is lifting the edges of her lips. “Yeah, yeah…” 

Before Nicolette can utter a word, Ethan steps forward and scrutinises Alex’s arm. “Excuse me, Alex is it? Not to be overly presumptuous but can you tell me how long you’ve had that rash on your arm for?” 

Nicolette snaps her gaze over to Ethan, almost forgetting he was there for a moment as he’s been quiet until now, regarding the situation in that silent, stoic way of his before she follows where he’s looking and finds the rash he was talking about making its way across Alex’s wrist and up her forearm. 

Alex takes her focus off of her sister for a moment at the sound of her name and if it were any other situation and Nicolette didn’t have a ball of worried panic rolling around in her stomach she would have laughed at the reaction of her sister seeing Ethan for the first time. 

With a comical widening of her eyes and her jaw falling open in shock, Alex gathers herself after a few short moments and answers Ethan in a stuttering voice. “It s-started to itch around two weeks ago? I mean, I have bouts of hives when I’m stressed. Especially now since I’m taking extra-curricular activities in science and chemistry. Why? Should I be worried?” 

Ethan steps closer to her and examines her arm closely, his sharp blue eyes examining the area with critical focus. Nicolette watches him and different diagnoses run rampant through her mind but a twist of fear is heavy on her because this was her sister. Her _baby_ sister and if anything happened to her, she would surely break. 

Alex glances up from Ethan’s focus on her arms and mouths ‘oh my god’ and spears Nicolette with a look of literal heart eyes as she glances between Ethan and herself that she has to stifle a laugh at the expression. She’s definitely not wrong but it was funny nonetheless.

Nicolette's twin sisters, Alexandria and Siobhan were seventeen and in their junior year of high-school but they both knew a 'hottie' when they saw one. Nicolette glances over at Siobhan and finds her giving Ethan a quick appreciative once over before she flicks her gaze to Nicolette and smirks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively in that joking way that siblings do about a potential love interest.

Nicolette shakes her head but a smile makes its way to her face at Siobhan's antics behind Alex and Ethan's back.

Alex has focused her gaze on Ethan again, before he leans back and catches Nicolette's eyes, a small frown on his lips. Nicolette is immediately on high alert, her heart pounds in her ears like a drum, drowning out all thought.

“Doctor Valentine. Would you be able to come with me for a minute?”

“Sure, Doctor Ramsey.”

Nicolette gives a silent direction to her sister’s to stay put before stepping away, the sounds of her sisters’ whispers and giggles making her shake her head.

Ethan crosses his arms along his chest and sighs, his intense focus now on Nicolette and she's hard-pressed not to shiver against the overwhelming weight of his gaze. Those eyes of his are weapons of their own.

“What’s the matter, Ethan? Is my sister alright?"

Ethan sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I'd like to run more tests but consider your sister our new diagnostics patient.”

A bolt of that panic hits her again and she grasps Ethan's arm without thinking, her eyes staring at Ethan with a startling amount of fear.

“What? Can you fix it? Should I be worried? I can't be in this case because I'm emotionally involved but will you promise to tell me if anything happens?"

Ethan's expression softens and his lips pull up in a gentle smile, his hand coming up to rest against Nicolette's on his forearm.

“I'm glad you had the foresight to remove yourself already. And yes, I will tell you if anything happens. I _will_ get you to call your parents though. They'll need to be informed about your sisters being here.”

Nicolette nods, a relieved smile gracing her face and the panic easing in her chest.

“Thank you, Ethan.”

“You’re welcome, Nicolette,” Ethan gives another quick squeeze of her hand. “Let's update your sisters so we can get this sorted quickly because I’d like to see you not so panicked and for them both to be as healthy as possible. They are your family so they are my priority right now.”

A burst of emotion expands in her chest so large and warm she’s afraid it’ll explode and consume her. She almost pulls Ethan in for a kiss because of it but she settles for a soft smile which he returns. There is a beat of silence where both are staring at each other fondly before they both move and Nicolette falls behind him as they make their way over to her sisters, Nicolette's arms folded behind her back. Both Alex and Siobhan are apprehensive when they see Ethan and Nicolette approach, unease shining in their eyes before their focus lands on Ethan.

Alex is the first one to speak, her tone reflecting the way she feels, the words wobbling beneath the strength she’s trying to hold on to. “What's going on? Is everything alright?”

Ethan stares back at Nicolette, an uncharacteristic uncertainty to his face however it smoothes out once she nods, giving him a reassuring smile and permission to speak.

“There are some tests I'd like to run on you, Miss Valentine, so I’m admitting you to our diagnostics team. Doctor Valentine has exempt herself from your treatment as she is too close to this case and first and foremost your sister.”

Alex glances over Ethan's shoulder, her hazel eyes are calm but Nicolette can tell she’s nervous. “Will you still be with me, though?”

Nicolette grins warmly, walking over and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Of course, I will. I just won't be on the case as it's against our Code of Conduct to have doctors work on their family members. I'll be here as your guardian until mum and dad can get here and sign the papers for your admittance.”

Alex nods. “Okay. Are you going to call them now?”

Nicolette nods, squeezing her sister’s shoulder before stepping away and pulling her phone out of her pocket.

“I am right now. Follow Doctor Ramsey. You can trust him. He’s the best there is.”

Alex glances at Ethan nervously and smiles, the smile crooked which he returns with a reassuring smile of his own, although it’s a bit wobbly because of his unfamiliarity with teenagers.

“If you'll follow me this way, Miss Valentine? We'll get you sorted.”

“Alex.”

Ethan glances down and meets the eyes of the girl beside him, her shrewd gaze reminds him of Nicolette and he almost smiles. He raises an eyebrow instead.

“Call me Alex. Everyone does.”

Ethan gives a small nod in acknowledgement before stepping through the elevator and pressing the number for the diagnostics ward. A bunch of tests are sifting through his mind to start unlocking the mystery of Alex’s condition before she speaks again, her tone filled with mirth and mischief. The words have Ethan’s heart in his throat and he chokes on his saliva.

“So...how long have you been dating my sister?”


	2. Inquisition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan gets a shock when Nicolette’s little sister asks an interesting question. How will he respond?

**_Previously..._ **

_“So...how long have you been dating my sister?”_

***

****

There is a moment where Ethan’s heart stops dead and he thinks this is the worst day of his life. The earth stops (and not in a good way), the ground shakes beneath his feet, his skin prickles in panic at the implications this will bring. How could a seventeen-year-old uncover the secret that he and Nicolette have tried to hide for weeks in less than an hour? His surroundings become a blur as the breath gets knocked out of him and he opens his mouth a few times as if some words will fall out but they never come. 

Nicolette and Ethan were the only ones to know about their relationship. It was a proven fact that Ethan was as subtle as a brick (a facet of his personality that Nicolette reminded him about on a daily basis) but he’d like to think that he and Nicolette were smarter about it than they thought they were. Apparently not. He inwardly sighs at that thought.

To gain a little bit of composure, he pulls his hands behind his back and straightens his shoulders, refusing to admit that a teenager has rattled him so much that he’s afraid to look at her. Damnit. Were all Valentine women this direct? 

Ethan takes a calming breath from the shock of Alex’s words and slowly turns his head to lock eyes with Nicolette’s sister, her eyes a shade darker than Nicolette’s green ones, a warm hazel.

He would be embarrassed if not for the knowing smirk on Nicolette’s sister’s face and he regains a semblance of decorum after a few stifling moments of panic and busies himself with his tie as if to prove that he wasn’t shaken by her words. 

“I fail to see how that is any of your business. Nicolette and I are colleagues first...what happens outside of that is nobody’s business but ours.”

The teenager laughs beside him and he can hear the smile in her voice as she replies with, “All I heard in that sentence was the fact that you didn’t deny dating my sister.” 

Ethan looks to the heavens as if he could find some hidden miracle in dealing with seventeen-year-old teenagers who knew better than a person of his age and experience. 

_God, give me strength..._

Ethan shifts on his feet, pulling his coat further around him as if to stop the heavy gaze he could feel on his face. He has never in his thirty-seven years of existence tried to school his expression so much as he has now. Thank god for Poker. 

Ethan sighs and leans against the elevator, his tone resigned at the fact that he wasn’t going to get anything past Nicolette’s sister. “If you must know…” 

Ethan pauses for effect and he can see in the corner of his eye that Alex leans forward, her face eager with excitement and the juicy gossip that she’ll no doubt tell her sisters about. A smirk lifts his lips as he sees they were near to the diagnostics floor. 

Thankfully, before he answers, the elevator dings and the doors open. “Oh, would you look at that? We’re here. Follow me and I’ll get you settled.” 

Ethan bolts out of the elevator before Alex utters a word and he can hear her groan before her sneakers squeak against the floor after him. Ethan wasn’t so naive to think that he wasn’t going to get questioned about his relationship with Nicolette and by her family, no less, but it was a shock to hear it from the mouth of Nicolette’s sister, much younger than she, who should have no inkling of it whatsoever.

Ethan sighs again and gestures to the room for Alex to step in, her earlier mirth at Ethan’s discomfort fading and replaced by trepidation at what the rash on her arm could be. Ethan notices her absentmindedly scratch at it and he files this symptom for further analysis. 

“Here is your room. A nurse will be with you shortly so you can change into a hospital gown and take your blood. I’ll be right back, Miss Valentine.” 

Alex stares at Ethan, processing his words before she nods, her arms coming up to around her torso as if to protect herself. 

“Thanks, Doctor Ramsey.” 

Ethan nods and bows his head slightly in acknowledgment. “Of course. You are my priority now and that means that I will do everything in my power to help you get to the bottom of this.” 

Alex nods but then the worry that clouds Alex’s eyes soon shifts to that of mischievousness, her demeanour becomes much more relaxed as she leans against the bed and smirks up at him. Ethan had no clue why. What could he have said that would warrant this change in behaviour? 

Teenagers are confusing. 

“I’m pretty sure you and I both know that you aren’t doing this for my benefit.” 

Ethan opens his mouth to protest and his hands clench into fists at the dead-pan, matter-of-fact delivery of her words. 

What is it about him that made people think he was obvious? His glasses? Beard? His eyes? Did his frown give anything away?

Alex smiles at the doctor in front of her and she can’t help but ask a few questions. She was insanely curious and it didn’t escape her that she was enjoying the discomfort she was bringing to the middle-aged (albeit hot) doctor. 

“So...Doctor Ramsey…” 

Ethan’s heart gave a jolt at the barely concealed glee behind the hesitant words because he knew what she was going to say. He might not know much about dealing with teenagers but he was well aware of their nature.

  
Ethan glances up at the teenager, an eyebrow raised in faux-curiosity. He wasn’t curious. He was terrified at the prospect of all the questions he’d get bombarded with. 

“What are your intentions with my sister?” 

His heart drops. Why oh why does he have to be right all the time? 

Ethan smothers the groan building up in his throat and he scoffs. “What? I hardly believe that is an appropriate line of questions to a superior.” 

Alex crosses her arms stubbornly and her mouth turns down in a frown. “Appropriate? That’s rich coming from the guy who couldn’t stop staring at my sister with literal stars in his eyes.” 

“That is none—”

“It is my business if it involves my sister.” 

“Your sister is an adult and you are a teenager...what happens in her life should not be privy to you.” 

Alex scoffs. “I believe I have more claim over her than you, Doctor Ramsey. So…” 

Ethan’s jaw drops at her words. “Despite what you think, I have no ‘claim’ over Nicolette. She is her own person. We are colleagues, first and foremost, anything other that is our concern, not yours.” 

Alex frowns, running her fingers through her auburn hair, the ends of it brushing her shoulders. “Doctor Ramsey, if you won’t share anything...how can I trust you to take care of her?” 

Ethan doesn’t have time to think of a response until Alex sighs and shakes her head, her hazel eyes narrowed into slits, a protectiveness for Nicolette cloaks her from head to toe and straightens her shoulders and makes her bolder than anyone should with a person as high-ranking and intimidating as Ethan. Maybe he’s losing his touch? 

“Nicolette is annoying as hell and treats me like I’m still six sometimes but I love her and if anything, anything happens to her while she’s going out with you,” Alex shrugs, resting her chin in her raised palm and gives him a nonchalant smile although it has Ethan fidgeting with the pen in his hands. “Let’s just say you don’t want me on your bad side. Remember...I’m Nicolette’s sister and I grew up with her. I know her secrets. I’ll know yours soon enough.” 

Ethan is stumped for words and because he knows, from the little amount of time he’s been around her, that she’ll make good on her promise, he retreats out of the room and doesn’t glance back and stops at the nurses’ station fifteen steps down. Ethan breathes a sigh of relief but he groans under his breath when he hears Alex’s voice carry down the hall. 

“Don’t think you are getting out of this, Doctor Ramsey! I have an insatiable curiosity!” 

“Watch me,” Ethan says to no-one as he signs some charts needing his attention. 

***

Ethan stalls as much as he can before he goes back into see Nicolette’s sister, his steps hesitant but then he shakes his head at himself. What kind of man is scared of a seventeen-year-old who is bold enough to talk about his love life so openly and in public? Oh, that’s right. Nicolette’s sister. Edenbrook would have a field day if this gets out.

“What’s up, doc?” 

Ethan is silent and glances up above the frames of his glasses and gives a smile to Alexandria. 

“Back from your temper tantrum?” 

Ethan glares at Alex and she gives him a smirk, pleased to see that she’s ruffled his feathers a bit. Ethan is amazed at how alike Alex and Nicolette were. Through the early stages of their partnership, Nicolette wouldn’t stop annoying him and seeing behind the mask. It was more endearing now considering how much she proved she knew him.

Ethan takes a deep breath before taking the few steps forward so he could check over Alex’s arm. 

“I would like you to answer some questions for me, Miss Valentine. Just so I know what we have to work with.”

Alexandria sighs, crossing her arms along her chest before she hisses in pain and rests her hands on the bed gently instead. Ethan frowns in concentration and steps closer. Skin disorders and auto-immune diseases run through his mind but, as a doctor for the last decade, he at least wants to be sure he’s on the right track. He’s a brilliant doctor, yes, but even he needs to double-check once in a while.

“Has the rash started to flare up again?” 

Alex glances up at Ethan and reluctantly nods. 

“Have you eaten or drunk anything as of late? Have you experienced any discomfort?” 

Alex’s eyebrows furrow as she thinks back to what she had for breakfast. "Yeah, I had some cereal and some toast for breakfast. A salad for lunch at the cafe down the street from here. Not so good for my stomach though. I’ve been bloated each time I eat. And I’ve been tired as of late but I just figured that’s because I’ve been staying up late because of mid-term exams at school.” 

Ethan steps closer and hums in thought.

“What could it be, Ethan?” 

Ethan startles at Nicolette’s voice behind him but he just glances over his shoulder and gestures for her to come closer, his gaze softening as they lock eyes. 

Nicolette walks over to the bed, peering down at her sister. Ethan stares at her as her green eyes scan her sister's arm and her gaze zeros in on a rash on her elbows. Her eyebrows crease in thought and Ethan almost smiles at the way he can see her mind working. It always gives him a sense of pride. She’s a phenomenal doctor.

At last, Nicolette straightens and glances to her little sister before eyeing Ethan and giving him a nod. He understands immediately. He’ll leave while Nicolette talks to Alexandria. 

Nicolette follows Ethan’s tall figure as he moves out of sight and then turns to her sister, her hand running through Alexandria’s hair in a subconscious tic.

Alex regards her sister quietly, her hazel eyes are alight with worry and her face is creased with stress.

“Nikki? What is it?”

Nicolette's heart twinges at the underlying fear that resonates under Alexandria’s tone and she wants to make sure that she is soothed enough that she won’t freak out. It was true that she hasn't seen them in half a year but Alex was her baby sister and she’d do anything to protect her.

“At the moment all I can tell you... is that we have some ideas that we are going to run with. We’re going to do some serology testing. That just looks for antibodies in your blood,” Nicolette explains, anticipating her sister's cluelessness at doctors’ jargon. “In the meantime, I'll get you some juice and have you relax a bit, okay?”

“Where’s Von?” Alex sighs, her eyes closed against Nicolette’s fingers running through her hair, the rhythmic movement lulling her to a calm presence of mind. Alex almost smiles. This brought back memories of when Nicolette would do this on a weekend when she’d babysit her and Siobhan, sitting in front of the TV watching Disney movies while their parents were away on a workshop in San Francisco. 

Nicolette gives her a smile. “She’s still downstairs. Mum and dad gave me permission to discharge her considering she can’t do it herself yet.”

Alex scoffs at her. “We’ll be eighteen in two months so that’s a moot point.”

Nicolette laughs, running her fingers through her sister's hair again before tucking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “The law is the law, Alex. I can’t change it just for you.”

Alex sighs. "Well...can she come to visit me still?"

Nicolette nods, her tone warm as she speaks. “Of course, sweetie.”

Alex grimaces and shakes her head to rid Nicolette's hand from her face. “Ew. Don’t call me ‘sweetie’. I'm not three.”

Nicolette chuckles and gives her little sister a fond smile, dashing in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “You’ll always be the pooping, crying, mischievous three-year-old to me, my dear Alexandria Roisin."

Nicolette's laugh echoes around the diagnostics wing with Alex’s next words. “I don’t appreciate you middle-naming me at a time like this, Nikki! I’m in hospital!"

Nicolette shakes her head and sidles up to Ethan standing at the nurse’s station. "So...what’s the diagnosis, Ramsey?"

Ethan side-eyes her at the informal greeting but he lets it slide. The casual ease to their conversation strikes him. If this was anybody else he’d have their hides and threatening to have their medical license revoked but for Nicolette? He doesn’t bat an eye. Damn. He is so gone for her. 

He doesn’t have the heart to disagree with that statement though. It’s a rather happy thought.

“I have my suspicions but I am going to order an endoscopy just to be sure.”

Nicolette nods, a playful smirk on her face. “I know. I texted Bryce and Alex is booked in for one in two hours.”

“Nicolette…”

“I know, I know...I can’t be involved but there's nothing in the handbook that says I can’t text a friend, right?”

Nicolette has a cheeky grin on her face that has Ethan’s heart swelling inside his chest. A smile of his own appears on his face and he reigns in the urge to pull her closer and kiss her. God. She’s irresistible.

Before Nicolette can say anything else her phone rings and she pulls it out, her eyes widen at the caller ID. She glances up at Ethan and he nods when he reads her face. It was her parents if Ethan had to guess.

“Thanks, Ethan. I won’t be long, okay? And page me if anything happens.”

“I'll let you know. Go, Nicolette.”

Nicolette flashes him a warm smile before answering the call, her voice fading as she walks down the hall.

“Hey Mum…” 

Ethan sighs and tells the nurse to check Alex’s vitals before heading down to the cafeteria for at least something to nibble on. He’d only had a coffee this morning and a protein bar and it’s been hours since then. He needs a pick me up if he needs to deal with someone as headstrong as Alex. 

Irritation sings through him as he stands in line, his jaw clenches at the thought of dealing with Alex again despite her being his patient, he always strives to be professional but Alex’s incessant questions and curiosity at his relationship with Nicolette was wearing his patience thin. 

He grabs his coffee and starts down the hall to wait for the elevator to head to his office to finish some paperwork but before he can, there is a tap on his shoulder and he turns around with a scowl on his face. The person to greet him was not what he expected and his eyes widen. 

Before him stood a large, broad-shouldered man with thick arms which suggest he’s spent a lifetime picking up and moving heavy objects and a deep tan that has Ethan thinking he’s lived his whole life in the sun. A couple of tattoos line his thick, corded arms and Ethan’s eyes glance up and find a strong, angular jaw covered with a thick beard. 

Despite the intimidating presence of this stranger, Ethan squares his shoulders and lifts his eyebrows. “Is there something I can help you with?” 

The man in front of him raises his eyebrows at the underlying annoyance he can hear in Ethan’s tone and Ethan kicks himself for not covering it up with professionalism. 

The man, who is easily a feet or two taller than him, crosses his arms along his large chest and stares down at Ethan with shrewd blue eyes that has Ethan almost stepping back, feeling as if he’s been trapped in a corner. 

The man speaks, his voice deep and rumbling. “Yes, I am looking for my daughter.” 

Ethan barely holds back the sigh that wants to escape but he holds it in and nods. “Sure. If you go to the main information desk in the atrium we can—”

The man interrupts him. “I’ve already been there and they’ve directed me here. So, can you tell me where I can find my daughter?”

Ethan’s hand twitches against the urge to rub his forehead in frustration but he curves it for a pleasant smile. A fake one, but a smile nonetheless. 

“Sure, what is your daughter's name?” 

The large lumberjack of a man uncrosses his arms, his hands coming to rest on his hips and clears his throat.

“She’s a doctor here. Her name is Nicolette.” 

The world seems to echo around him and the smile he had on his face melts away at this man’s words. Ethan’s heart thunders in his chest, the only sound he can hear. A sliver of panic invades his veins and the blood drains from his face. His thoughts are running rampant and if his calculations are correct this was none other than Nicolette’s father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted on Tumblr 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 😊


	3. Meet the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan finally meets Nicolette’s parents. How will it go? Meanwhile, will the diagnostics team figure out what’s wrong with Alex?

The large man raises an amused eyebrow at the sight of Ethan, shock and fear warring over the doctor's features. Ethan steadies himself against the rising panic at seeing Nicolette’s father in front of him, however, he feels like he doesn’t accomplish the job enough to hide it. He’s more than a little blindsided and more so because Nicolette wasn’t with him to soften the blow of meeting her parents. _Especially_ her father. God. He wasn't ready for this. He knew that Nicolette had a family, of course, he did, she mentioned them all the time. He could handle teenagers (Alex on the other hand though) but her _father_? That was another matter entirely. 

Ethan was intimidating in the fact that he had a brilliant mind and he had a continuous frown on his face when he was met with complete imbeciles whether at Edenbrook or outside of work and his height certainly increased that credibility but he was sure ready to admit when he wasn’t. He wasn’t _that_ prideful and right now...he’s more than a little intimidated by Nicolette’s father. 

Six foot five, all muscle, deep tanned skin and tattoos lining his thick arms, Ethan was almost over-towered by him, having to crane his neck for the first time in his life. Ethan swallows against the lump in his throat while the tension around the two men heightens into awkward territory. Ethan had to say something but his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth and no words would come. For a man as smart and well educated as he was, Ethan was woefully out of his depth when it comes to meeting his girlfriend’s father. 

A smile lifts the side of Robert Valentine’s mouth as he reads the lines of the doctor’s face, his eyes regarding him with a thorough eye like he’d do to one of his wooden furniture pieces for a client to get the most intricate details perfect. It doesn’t escape his notice that he sees Ethan swallow and a laugh wants to bubble up his throat but he holds back the urge. With his physical appearance, Robert Valentine wouldn’t fault anyone for assuming he was some part of something more nefarious, like a biker gang or a bodyguard for the mob. However, he was nothing more than a successful business owner and a hard-working expert craftsman, as cuddly as a teddy bear and a proud father to four wonderful children with a wife he’d move heaven and earth for. 

Robert tips his chin down to stare at the man in front of him and a tingle of recognition hits him. This was _the_ Doctor Ethan Ramsey his daughter was so fond of in medical school. She even had a poster of him hanging up on her dorm wall. Once she started working with him, Nicolette vowed her family to never tell him about it. Robert had a hard time convincing his twin daughters to listen to her warning though, and he wouldn’t put it past them to tell him. 

Robert studies Ethan’s face and what he finds almost has him chuckling again. The doctor looked like he'd seen a ghost and one that would break all his bones in the process as well as bury him six feet under. Robert has a very self-satisfying thought to let him suffer for a few minutes more but a voice interrupts before he can utter a word. 

“Dad? Is that you?” 

Both men turn to the sound and Ethan visibly relaxes as he catches sight of Nicolette. Maybe she could be a buffer to this giant of a man and his jumbled thoughts. Ethan has never met the parents of his significant other before and that is because he hasn’t really had a significant other, or at least, a person who means as much to him as Nicolette does to warrant this kind of step. His repertoire is impressive— there’s no doubt about that— yet there was something significant in the fact that, right now, he was just a man who happens to be dating Nicolette and he could be no less a man who’s struggling through life without any direction when it comes to her father’s thoughts on him. A wave of anxiousness flew through his stomach. 

Robert isn’t oblivious to the set of Ethan’s shoulders immediately relaxing at the voice of his daughter and his arms flex at the protective instincts that kick in. His jaw tenses as he sees Nicolette smile warmly at Doctor Ramsey. Robert’s broad shoulders drop their tension when he sees the doctor’s face light up at the sight of his eldest daughter walking down the corridor, an excited jump in her step.

Nicolette’s eyes meet Ethan’s before catching on to her father’s and she hurries her pace and all but jumps in her father’s embrace, not caring that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. With her form almost being completely smothered by Robert’s thick arms and hulking body, she relishes in the comfort of her father’s hug. God, she’s missed this. 

“I can’t believe you’re here already! I just got off the phone to Mum and she said that you wouldn’t be here until tonight.” 

Robert squeezes her daughter tight as he replies, his deep voice heavy with joyful affection for his wife and daughters. “Oh, I know. Your mother likes to exaggerate. She’s just down the road getting us some coffee. I decided to come to Edenbrook to find Siobhan and Alexandria.”

Nicolette laughs but steps back out of her fathers hug and gives him a mocking glare, crossing her arms over her chest, her red hair falling from her shoulders in the wake of the movement. “Oh? And what about me?” 

Nicolette’s voice is happy and light and Ethan glances between them both. He could see the resemblance. They had the same shape of the eyes and smile but Ethan would hazard a guess that her delicate features and hair colour comes from her mother. 

Robert rumbles out a laugh from deep within his chest and Ethan swears it vibrates around him. Damn, this man is a huge teddy-bear. 

The lumberjack-esque man puts a hand on Nicolettte’s shoulder, it’s large enough to cover her entire shoulder as his fingers wrap around her shoulder blade. “Of course I am happy to see you, Nicolette. I was just asking this doctor where I could find you.” 

Nicolette startles, remembering that Ethan was standing beside her, quiet and stoic as normal but she could tell that he was nervous. She gives him a sympathetic smile. 

“Oh! Ethan. I forgot you were there.” 

Ethan clears his throat and steps back further, not wanting to interfere with their reunion. “I don’t mind, Doctor Valentine. I should leave you to it.” 

Ethan starts to turn around when Nicolette’s hand stops him, wrapping around his wrist. “Wait. Since you’re here, I’d like you to meet my father.” 

A slight nervous chuckle escapes Ethan’s throat as he talks. “I think that’s already been accomplished, Nicolette.” 

Nicolette sighs, rolling her eyes before her hand shifts and moves to hold his, her fingers entwining with his. He almost wants to pull away when he finds her father’s sharp gaze on their hands but he thinks better of it. She was holding him to the earth right now and if she let go he’d float away in a flutter of nerves. 

Nicolette takes a deep breath, sets her shoulders and glances up into the face of her father, the hint of a smile lifting her lips. 

“Dad. I’d like you to meet, Doctor Ethan Ramsey. A fantastic and brilliant diagnostician...and my boyfriend.” 

She said it. She said the words. Nicolette’s heart beats wildly in her chest as the words echo around her and seem to drift through the walls of the hospital into the ears of every colleague and nurse in a hundred-foot radius. Maybe she should have done this in a more private setting but she couldn’t wait. Her dad was here, her enthusiasm got the better of her and if she was being honest? She was goddamn tired of waiting and hiding the truth of their relationship. It’s out in the universe now. A bubble of joy slings through her and she has to resist the urge to squeal in excitement.

Nicolette regards her father’s reaction, his chest heaves with measured breaths, his hands crossing over his broad chest in what looks like a threatening manner so much so that she can’t help as nerves twist her stomach into butterflies. She knew that her father was protective but she was twenty-eight years old and he shouldn’t need to coddle her anymore. 

Robert is silent until he sighs and offers them both a smile, his blue eyes alight with curiosity and somewhat reluctant acceptance.

“Very nice to meet you, Ethan. My name is Robert Valentine. I hope my daughter hasn’t been too much trouble for you.” 

He holds out a hand for Ethan to shake and Ethan accepts it, the grip firm. Ethan’s nerves lift a little and he gives a genuine grin. 

“She has certainly kept this job interesting, I admit.” 

Nicolette rolls her eyes good-naturedly at his barb because it was technically true. Robert Valentine laughs at the words as images from Nicolette’s childhood and early teenage years flash behind his eyes. 

“I agree with you there, Doctor Ramsey.” 

The awkward air finally dissipates as they all share a laugh and Nicolette presses the button on the elevator to head to the diagnostics floor. 

“Dad, Alexandria is up on the seventh floor in the diagnostics wing. Ethan and I will take you up there. Siobhan is there right now.” 

Robert nods and scratches his beard, his arms flexing with the motion before gesturing to the elevator. “Lead the way then, Nikki.” 

Nicolette smiles and walks into the elevator, pushing her hands into her coat pockets as she leans against the back of the elevator as her father and Ethan settle on either side of her.

This is going to be interesting for sure and Ethan doesn’t know whether to be nervous or even _more_ nervous. He has yet to meet Nicolette’s mother.

****

“Von! Please tell me you found something?” 

Siobhan Valentine sighs, dropping her phone against her lap and giving her sister a look that says ‘no I haven’t so stop asking’, her mouth twisting in a frown at her twin sister’s pushiness. 

Alexandria grimaces at her sister’s face and leans back in her bed, rubbing a hand over her face, her red-painted fingernails idly scratching against the IV in her arm. 

“Don’t give me that look, Von. I need something to hold against Doctor McHottie.” 

Siobhan sighs. “Why do you need to have anything against Doctor McHottie? He’s doing this for you only because you are Nikki’s sister. I think that makes him amazing actually.” 

Alex turns her head to the side and raises her eyebrows. “Are you just saying that because you want to get on Doctor Ramsey’s good side? Or because he’s insanely hot?” 

Siobhan glances up at her sister. She gives her a smirk and shrugs her shoulders, choosing to ignore the last of her question. “No. I’m on everyone’s good side.” 

Alex groans, rolling her eyes. “Yes, I’m very well aware of that, Von. You don’t need to remind me, Miss I’m-A-Perfect-Little-Angel.” 

Siobhan is giggling when Ethan, Nicolette and Robert come through the door. A gasp leaves Siobhan as she catches sight of her father and jumps from her chair and runs over to him, his massive arms wrapping around her and lifts her off the ground, her momentum not even budging him from his spot a few feet from the doorway.

Robert grins at the enthusiastic hug, his voice teasing, yet a sliver of firmness slips into his tone as she speaks. “My little star! How many times have I told you to bring your insulin with you, huh?” 

Siobhan tightens her hold around her father’s neck and sighs. “I know, Dad. It was a mistake. Alex and I were in a hurry to catch the train and excited to see Nikki that I forgot to take it. I normally have it with me but it slipped my mind and—” 

Robert drops Siobhan back on the floor and squeezes her shoulders, his smile gentle and warm as he stares at his twin daughter. “I know, Von. You don’t have to explain it to me. You might still be seventeen but I trust you okay?” 

Siobhan grins at her father’s words and reaches on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek although she can’t reach easily so Robert has to crouch down to give her access. 

Siobhan smiles at her father. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re the best.”

Nicolette’s heart warms at the sight. Seeing her family again brings her so much joy, her heart swelling with love for them all. It was almost overwhelming. She realises how much she has missed them. Nicolette can admit that she’s fiercely independent, moving across the country for college and medical school proved that, but she knows that no matter how much she loves her independence and the life she is building here in Boston, she’ll always need her family. 

Tears spring to her eyes as she watches her father lean down from his impressive height to kiss Alex’s forehead, a small smile lifting Alex’s lips at the sweet gesture. She loves her family fiercely and she needs to figure out what’s wrong with her sister because if anything happened she would—

“Nicolette?” 

A hand brushes her shoulder and she snaps her gaze to Ethan’s concerned expression, his blue eyes like a liquid blue sky as they regard her softly.

Nicolette takes a deep breath and smiles at him. “I’m alright. Just realising that my family means more to me than I’ve let on.” 

Ethan’s heart aches at the sight of the tears glistening in her eyes but a bitter taste fills his mouth because he can’t relate. He doesn’t have a connection to his parents that Nicolette has with hers. There is a disconnect there where she has a deep connection and love for hers. He knows because every time she talks about them she glows as it shines out of her. Of course, Ethan loves his father but family is everything to her and it breaks his heart to realise that this is one of the things that separate them. 

Nicolette gives Ethan a weak smile, and inconspicuously wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her lab coat. She takes a deep breath and pastes a happy smile on her face before stepping over to her family, and placing herself beside her little sister’s bed, her fingertips brushing over the bedsheet as if to reassure herself that Alex was still there.

“As much as I love this reunion between you all, Doctor Rasmey needs to update Alex on her results.” 

The air in the room grows serious, the smiles on each face sobering to a pensive thoughtfulness. Robert rises to his full height and crosses his arms along his broad chest, his eyebrows raised in stern curiosity, unmistakably like a protective lion overseeing his offspring, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Ethan takes a deep breath before stepping forward with the test results and some residual findings from different theories that swam through his mind. 

Ethan looks at Alex for a few seconds before settling his gaze on Robert, his stomach unnervingly tight at Nicolette’s father’s stoic expression. Ethan clears his throat against the lump forming in it and he clenches his fingers around his clipboard. 

“From what I’ve found and tested, and the symptoms that have been presented to me by Alexandria with the vomiting and the bloating after eating particular meals and the constant fatigue... I believe the team and I have come up with a solution…” 

“And that is?” 

Alex's voice sounds impatiently exasperated and Nicolette has to resist the urge to giggle at the barely restrained eye-roll she almost does. She snaps her gaze to Ethan when she feels his eyes on her but she remains at the corner of Alex’s bed, her hand absentmindedly running up and down her sister's arm in a soothing gesture. 

Ethan's eyes subtly narrow at her tone but he continues on as if she hadn’t spoken. “With further discussion between us, and running different blood tests and running similar disease testing we have concluded that Alexandria has Celiac disease.” 

“Celiac disease?” Alex’s voice is confused, albeit a little shocked too, her fists clenching in the bedsheets.

Ethan nods at her, stepping closer to his patient and glances to Nicolette for guidance. She nods, giving him an encouraging smile as he answers Alex, his voice even and matter-of-fact. 

“Celiac disease is rather rare, with only one percent of American’s having this condition. It’s genetic. In your case, you could have gotten the gene from both parents and it’s coalesced into this,” Ethan stops so that Nicolette’s family can sift through that information before continuing, folding his arms. “It’s an immune reaction to eating gluten, which is a protein mostly found in wheat, barley and rye products which inflames your small intestines and can severely damage it if not treated. Fortunately, in this case, your small intestine is otherwise unharmed but you must be careful in regards to what you eat.” 

As Ethan explains Alex’s diagnoses to her family, his words snap into place the thoughts that had been plaguing Nicolette since Ethan found the rash and all the other. Nicolette smiles and runs her hand through Alex’s hair again in which Alex returns the affectionate gesture with her own by holding Nicolette’s free hand in both of hers.

Robert steps forward and places a hand on his youngest daughter’s shoulder. “How can this be? Alexandria has never been this sensitive to those types of foods before,” Robert pauses as he thinks, his eyebrows furrow in this concentration. “Although, come to think of it, she always used to have bad stomach aches as a child and she’s been particularly lethargic lately.” 

Alex scoffs, this time actually rolling her eyes at her father’s words. “Of course I’ve been tired, Dad. I’m studying for finals! I’ll be a senior in less than a month. I need all the doughnuts and nutrigrain I can get.” 

Ethan shakes his head. “Despite what you think, Alexandria, having bouts of fatigue is a quite common symptom of Celiac disease.”

Robert runs a fingertip down his jaw in thought, his expression pensive as he thinks. “Is there any way we can reduce the symptoms? Can we develop a plan so she gets better?” 

Despite his rather large and stoic appearance, Robert’s heart thunders in his chest as fear seizes him. He’s vowed since each of his children were born that he’d never see them come to harm and to see his youngest like this, in a hospital bed no less, scares him more than anything ever has. 

Nicolette can sense the underlying panic in her father’s voice and she goes over to him, resting a hand on his arm, a reassuring smile lifting the edges of her lips. 

“Of course, Dad. Ethan has come up with a solution for this. He always does.” 

Ethan resists the urge to melt at the pride in Nicolette’s voice but he instead flips through his clipboard until he gets to a detailed diet plan for Alex to look through as he steps forward and hands it to Robert, his eyes scanning the text. 

“Doctor Valentine is right. I have spoken with one of my colleagues and have made Alex a specific dietary plan so there is a way for her to live a comfortable life without risking her intestines and health in the process.” 

“Does this mean that I won’t be able to eat junk food on a Saturday night?” 

Ethan stares at Alex for a long moment, just enough to see her silently panic before he shakes his head, a small smile lifting his lips. 

“Having this disease doesn’t mean you can swear off all foods. Just make sure to have sustenance where no gluten is present in the ingredients. If you follow the dietary plan you’ll be sure to get a fulfilled way of life without the discomfort.” 

“I’ll be sure to do that, Doctor,” Alexandria’s tone is short and clipped, cluing Ethan to the fact that Nicolette’s sister isn’t entirely happy with her diagnosis. 

“Alexandria! Don’t talk to the doctor that way!” 

Every eye in the room shifts to the door, a small, petite auburn-haired woman standing with two take-away cups and a stern glare resting solely on Alexandria. There is enough strength behind the glare that Alex shrinks back but it is quickly swallowed by a motherly concern in the next few seconds. 

“Robert! Why didn’t you wait for me? I was only going to be there a minute. I had to get directed to Alex’s room by a doctor in the entrance to the hospital. He was quite the handsome one though. Dark skin, kind face, beautiful hair, a smile to die for... ” 

Siobhan and Alexandria crinkle their noses in disgust and Nicolette coughs against a chuckle wanting to burst out of her. Her dear mother was definitely describing Bryce. 

Robert clears his throat against his wife’s rambling and steps over to her, his large hands coming to rest gently on her shoulders, squeezing affectionately. “Darling, I’m sorry I didn’t wait but I needed to see that Alex is alright.” 

Nicolette’s mother smiles at her husband, her eyes shining with affection before slipping over to her daughter. She gives Robert a quick hug before rushing over to Alex and smothering her faces with kisses, whispering, ‘my baby, my poor baby’ over and over. 

“Ew, Mum! Stop it! We have company.” 

At this point, Ethan had stood back against the wall next to the entrance to the door and his spine straightens when he locks eyes with Nicolette’s mother. Ethan was right. Nicolette definitely took after her mother, same eyes, face shape and slope of the nose, and the most defining part of Nicolette, her sunset orange hair.

Ethan sees the exact moment that Nicolette’s mother really looks at him because her eyes widen a fraction and she gapes at him before turning to her eldest daughter, her eyebrows raised in curiosity and if Ethan wasn’t mistaken, a little bit of teasing. 

“So, Nicolette,” Her mother steps towards her, the line of her lips lifting up in a barely restrained smirk which as Ethan raising an eyebrow at the surprising expression. “When were you going to introduce me to this handsome young man? It seems like you’ve been hiding him from us for so long we almost thought he was made up.” 

Ethan chokes at the teasing note to Nicolette’s mother’s voice and Nicolette’s face has gone pale while Robert and the twins are barely holding back the urge to laugh. 

Ethan resists the urge to cover his face in frustration or embarrassment, he wasn’t sure which one he was feeling at the moment. Probably a combination of both.

_This is just fantastic..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on tumblr (which you can find the link to in my bio) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are welcome! 🥰

**Author's Note:**

> I felt inspired to write this haha so I did. This'll be a three or four-part series - let's see how it goes (hence I put 4 chapters on the chapter count) haha. I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Thank you for all your support :) 
> 
> [Let's imagine in this little series that the whole drama with Esme doesn't exist]


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